Guest Review: THE AUSTEN AFFAIR by Madeline Bell

ABOUT THE BOOK: Two feuding co-stars in a Jane Austen film adaptation accidentally travel back in time to the Regency Era in this delightfully clever and riotously funny debutTess Bright just scored her dream role starring in an adaptation of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. It's not just the role of a lifetime, but it’s also her last chance to prove herself as a serious actress (no easy feat after being fired from her last TV gig) and, more importantly, it’s her opportunity to honor her mom, who was the biggest fan of Jane Austen ever. But one thing is standing in Tess’s way—well, one very tall, annoyingly handsome person, actually: Hugh Balfour. A serious British method actor, Hugh wants nothing to do with Tess (whose Teen Choice Awards somehow don’t quite compare to his BAFTA nominations). Hugh is a type-A, no-nonsense, Royal Academy prodigy, whereas Tess is big-hearted, a little reckless, and admittedly, kind of a mess. But the film needs chemistry—and Tess’s career depends on it. Sparks fly, but not in the way Tess hoped, when an electrical accident sends the two feuding co-stars back in time to Jane Austen’s era. Two hundred years in the past, with only each other to rely on, Tess and Hugh need to ad-lib their way through the Regency period in order to make it back home, and hopefully not screw up history along the way. But if a certain someone looks particularly dashing in those 19th-century breeches…well, Tess won’t be complaining. A wickedly funny, delightfully charming story, The Austen Affair is a tribute to Jane Austen, second chances, and love across the space-time continuum.

An Austen Affair by Madeline Bell, published September 16, 2025

OPENING LINES

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that women, since time immemorial (or at least since 1995), have been obsessed with Colin Firth. My mother was no exception.

GUEST REVIEW by SOPHIA ROSE

With a touch of wry humor, new-to-me author Madeline Bell pens a blend of romantic comedy with time travel romance. Her enemies-to-lovers pair of film actors playing the roles of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey leads find themselves suddenly two centuries in the past and playing parts for a live Regency era audience.

Tess Bright lost her shining best bud, her mother, to cancer, and her acting career derails. Her passion for acting came from all those years spent with her mom watching the movie magic of Austen films. Now, in an ironic twist, her last big chance to save her career comes from a successful turn as Catherine Tilney. Too bad, her co-star, successful British method actor, Hugh Balfour, a child of British film royalty (and need she say, not very Henry Tilney-like), sees her as a mistake, a frivolous American who has no business in such a film.

But a shocking event takes them both into the past and the Hampshire countryside, where Hugh’s family hails and owns a large estate, forcing them to improvise right and left. Her knowledge of Austen films and his meticulous research into his role are what they rely on as they fumble and bumble through the past.

Tess’s character narrates The Austen Affair. I confess, I did not like her through much of the story because of her behavior, especially with Hugh. Like a famous Austen heroine, she formed her opinion quickly and took a long time to see the hints that she pegged Hugh wrong. He didn’t give her much of a chance, either, but his grave earnestness was more straightforward to appreciate than her carefree romp through life because she was still hung up on the past. However, Tess does grow and change, learning to appreciate Hugh and his way of thinking first and having a plan. He came to appreciate her lively spirits and strength, too, especially when he finally opened up about his less-than-fairytale life.

All in all, this was a lighthearted romp with emotional depth, good character growth, and romance development. Austen lovers will appreciate this dream chance for the modern-day characters to revisit the past and even encounter Jane Austen herself along the way. 21st-century mishaps may have been made along the way, much to this reader's amusement.

Madeline Bell, author

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Madeline Bell grew up in Poughkeepsie, NY and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University. Like any rom-com heroine worth her salt, she is a lovably clumsy New Yorker with an office job in a creative field.

Sophia Rose, reviewer and author

ABOUT THE GUEST REVIEWER, Sophia Rose

Sophia is a quiet, curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, piano-playing, and gardening. Road trips and campouts, museums and monuments, restaurants, and theaters are her jam. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and a loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, baseball, cats, Scooby Doo, and chocolate.

As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing. In 2012, she submitted her first book review and is currently an associate reviewer. Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener, which allows her to experience many wonderful books, authors, and narrators. Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction, particularly history, mystery, scifi, and romance. Sorry, no horror...or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby. Connect with Sophia via FACEBOOK GOODREADS TWITTER.